The present invention relates to food service systems wherein individual portions of precooked food are supported on trays within movable carts. The carts are placed in a chilled environment to store the food in a chilled state. Selected foods on the trays are rethermalized in the cart or heated to a hot serving temperature, while other portions of the foods on the trays remain in the chilled state. The present invention more particularly pertains to trays which can be used in such rethermalization systems and are particularly adapted to use in satelliting systems, wherein the trays after rethermalization are transported to another building or other remote location, and often via the outdoors.
A rethermalization system is a prior art food service system wherein food is cooked or precooked and then chilled in bulk to 40.degree. F. or less. The food is divided into individual portions and stored in a chilled state until it is reheated. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines specify that the chilled and stored temperature must be 40.degree. F. or less. A short time before the food is served, the food which is to be served hot is brought to a safe serving temperature, that is, it is rethermalized. FDA guideline specify that a safe serving temperature is 165.degree. F. or greater.
One known rethermalization concept is the Temp-Rite II System available from Aladdin Synergeties, Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., and as disclosed at least in part in U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,391 to Bourner, The Temp-Rite II System uses three separate thermostatically controlled heaters on each cart shelf whereby each heater supplies a particular wattage depending upon the type of food to be heated, extensity and the dishware used. The Temp-Rite II tray has insulated compartments each insulated from the others. In addition, a compartmentalized insulated cover is placed over the food compartments thereby isolating the hot areas from the cool areas. This insulated cover allows the tray to be moved in a satelliting operation or from one building to another while protecting the various foods from temperature change, wind, dust and the like.
After the tray is assembled on a cold tray line, and then protected by the insulated cover, the assembled trays are placed on the cart shelves. The shelves can be placed on the cart at one position or at a 180.degree. reverse position. In the first position, the three hot food compartments align precisely with three heating elements and the cover automatically engages an activator switch mounted on the side of the cart for future heating. If the tray is placed in the reverse position, however, the three hot compartments will not be positioned over the heating elements and the cover will not engage the activator switch. As a result, all the food on the shelf remains cold. The loaded carts are then rolled into a rethermalization refrigerator where the meals are held at 40.degree. F. The activator switch turns the three elements either on or off and does not individually control any one heating element. The dishware of this tray are rectangular rather than the more conventional and aesthetically pleasing round shape.
Another very recent system is the Temp-Rite II Excel System also available from Aladdin and disclosed at least in part in the '204 application. It is basically a cafeteria pellet system which utilizes two round hot dishes having separate insulated covers or domes. Rather than having a server design which is entirely compartmentalized, several dishes on the server can be repositioned on a flat tray surface at the convenience of the user. Since separate insulated domes are used for each hot food dish, a dome is removed only when the particular food will be eaten. Although an overall cover covers the dishware for sanitation reasons, this cover need not be insulated because the needed insulation is provided by the individual insulated domes. This system also includes a unique separate heating pod arrangement. Each pod is a modular unit and thus can be replaced if necessary without replacing the other pods on the same tray extrusion. Each pod further incorporates two circuits--a low wattage primary and a higher wattage secondary which allow for the heating over a wider range in the combination of different food densities. A dome sensing magnetic switch determines the presence or absence of the insulated dome over the pod. If the dome is present the pod will be activated to permit heating of the food at the desired time. In the event the operator wants to keep certain foods cold, the dome can be removed for preventing activation of the pod.
Other examples of food service rethermalization systems wherein the heating elements are incorporated into shelves within the service cart are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,346,756 to Dodd et al. and 4,323,110 to Rubbright et al.